1. How many characters can I have?
It looked like four, but that's not true at all - there are four slots for data, and each slot can contain as many as twelve individual characters.
2. Doesn't the Xbox version come with content that isn't on the DC version? Why didn't you mention it?
I apologize for not mentioning it specifically, but after two years it had damn well better bring somethintg else to the table. The full title of the game is actually "Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II," and contains the same new content as the Cube. The II in this case is a new portion of the adventure which has uncharted areas on the planet to explore, in addition to a new area of the orbital station and an assortment of new items. These new areas certainly take more advantage of modern technology, but the Xbox and Gamecube are certainly capable of more. The reason that I didn't jump out and mention it is that a) If you played the game absolutely to death and are no longer interested in PSO - voice chat or no - I'm not sure what's there is enough to bring you back. And b), if you've never played it before, you'd need it whether it had new content or not. Playing PSO too much should be a rite of passage in gamer culture.
3. Can I play with friends who own the (Gamecube, PC, DC) version?
No. Citing "security concerns," that is not a service they provide.
4. Can I play with my strange friends from other regions, like Japan and Europe?
That's also a no-go. This seems like a strange decision to me, especially with Xbox Live rolled out in these three regions - it was my understanding that Sonic team's "Symbol Chat" system was designed to ease communication in parties of differing nationalities.
5. What is "Challenge Mode?"
I'm looking forward to playing some of this, a reader sent it in. You form a team, and take individual "jobs," which send your party to the surface. You can't return to the ship for resupply, which means you're down there until you clean the place out. You are rewarded with special weapons, which I am told you can name yourself.
Many questions can be answered via the full manual, which is downloadable from the press site. I'm flipping through the PDF myself, now - the booklet that comes with the game itself is an anemic little scrap by comparison.
(CW)TB
